no redemption
by zman123
Summary: Charged with intention to kill and culpable ponycide, Lightening is sentenced to life without parole in a cruel,sadistic prison. Beaten, maimed and tortured daily, never able to escape this state, it seems this is one story with no triumphant end. But just who would show even the slightest sympathy to a guilty prisoner who deserves no sympathy. Who would even remotely care?
1. Chapter 1

Crack went the whip again and again as it was swung again and again into the flesh of the already bleeding prisoner chained against the wall.

The captive made neither sound nor motion as the whip struck again and again into her already badly wounded flesh. She was determined not to appear weak and to hold on to what little dignity she had left after her lifelong dreams and ambitions had been shattered one by one in front of her.

She did not cry, her tears had long been worn out and her eyes were still dry from her previous lamentations when she was first admitted to this terrible place.

She did not protest, any pleas for mercy would fall on deaf ears, she had learned that the hard and painful way.

The guards had given her nothing to chew on and trying to stop herself from biting her tongue was already difficult enough as it was. Talking would only make harder still.

"Spitfire must really be disappointed in you, you little creep" remarked the guard nonchalantly "Selfish little freaks like you are an insult to the good wonderbolt name."

Upon hearing the name of what was once her mentor, the only pony she had ever managed to trust in, she shivered slightly but quickly pulled herself back together. The past was the past and there was no backtracking in the sad irony of life.

She had learned that the hard painful way too.

The guard continued to give her lash after lash while continuing to hurl terrible insults at her as he did so in a terrible voice which would have made a good impression of a cheese grater.

Only morality, and the gruesome knowledge that it would be easy for her to bite her tongue if she moved her lips even slightly, stopped her from responding in kind, but the cold and icy glare which she regarded her tormentor with said more than her words needed to,

The pain surged through her body, coursing through her veins. Her skin felt as if it were burning and her vision became only more distorted with each crack of the whip.

Then the pain subsided and darkness washed over her fading sight as her body gave in to the horrible sensations, no longer able to resist. She smiled, at least unconsciousness offered her brief respite from the horrific torture which would return very very soon.

It was dark outside when she finally came to, groggy with both fatigue and pain. She was in her cell once more, her hooves tightly cuffed together and her wings bound tightly by metal chains.

The guards had once again conveniently forgotten to leave her any food or water, and her lips felt as dry as desert.

Her stomach rumbled with hunger, nothing she had not endured before. But that did not make it any less painful.

She glanced outside the barred window only to catch a glimpse of a herd of pegasi soaring past at a speed that even sound would envy. She didn't have to see them clearly in the blackness of night, one glimpse at their incredible pace told them that those were the Wonderbolts.

Her heroes, her idols, and once even her mentors.

Her mentors who once gave her the only respect she ever had in the cold, cruel world she had been born into.

They taught her the one moral she ever learned to live by, the one rule she believed would make her a good, respectable and moral pony.

They taught her to work harder and to push herself further than all others, and that in return she would be rewarded with respect and favour.

She followed that mantra to the end, and they threw her out. Threw her like garbage that had long outlived its usefulness.

Now they saw her as no better than a traitor. Now she was nothing more than a disgrace.  
But most tragic of all, now she was no better than the common criminal scum that deserved nothing.

She had a future, a life, and most of all she had friends. But now she had nothing. Not even friendship.

Lightening, the hardest working student in her class, who sacrificed what few days she had off to improve her skills and studies even further, had been left in the dust.

How fitting for the outcast named Lightening dust, and how very very ironic.

How long she had been left here to rot, she had long lost track of. Not that it mattered in the end, since her punishment was to last her entire life anyway, or at least what she had left of it.

She didn't expect to live long like this. One glance at the several lasting marks the unforgiving whip had left on her, told her that it wouldn't be many years anyway.

She sighed irrepressibly. Her friend "Dash" was probably celebrating her victory in euphoric bliss, and for all she knew, was probably already in one of those beautiful uniforms living her dreams.

A part of Lightening could not help but feel jealousy and to some extent even betrayal. Surely he couldn't expect her to be fine after the way Spitfire ejected her away in such a manner.

Did it not occur to her even once in the forgotten period of time she had been jailed for, to even inquire about her state?

No, was clearly the answer. Her dreams were clearly much more important than a one time "friend" she had known for no more than one day, two days tops.

Another part felt regret. Regret for endangering the lives of five innocent ponies who were almost killed because of her.

Five innocent lives were nearly lost because of her. However any lawyer were to analyse her actions that day, they could only conclude that five lives were almost lost because of her and that she deserved the blame.

She didn't expect Dash to care. Evil murderers who went around killing for their own sick amusement, were not worth the time of good, law abiding citizens.

It wasn't as if she wanted to endanger life. Proud of her actions that tragic day was something she was not.

But it did not matter in the end. Attempted murder was attempted murder, even if it was an unfortunate and unintended accident mixed with a unlucky case of wrong time, wrong place.

She didn't know that five ponies would be there, they just appeared, seemingly out of nowhere particular. She had no warning, no prediction, no time to change what could have been changed had she just known what it would have led to.

The tornado, it wasn't meant to injure anyone. No one was supposed to be injured, no one was meant to get hurt. It was meant to be a harmless and efficient way of carrying out her orders.

Or to put it simply, as her mom would have said "It was a cup of good intentions, but a tablespoon of one big mess".

And as Lightening closed her sore, reddened eyelids in an attempt to fall asleep on the cold metal floor, she knew that this would be what every last day of her life would comprise of.

This was the ending to a story to which a happy ending could not be earned written by an emotionless, sadistic sicko who delighted in seeing the tears and lamentations of his readers.

The kind of story where happy ever after for her, was happy everyone was after her.

It didn't take long for sleep to come. She gave herself up to the brief respite of a very short rest, and fell asleep cursing.

Cursing the cold, hard fact that in the life of a prisoner, tomorrow would be just as grim as yesterday. Her resentment and desire to one day be free of this state, was belied only by her sheer remorse and guilt which she knew would hurt far more than the beatings she was given tomorrow or any day for that matter ever would.

Part of her could not help but feel justified to this eternal torment considering just how close she had come to killing those five ponies she endangered. That part of her would gladly have traded anything to be given the chance to give them the apology she never had the chance to give them.

But she couldn't apologize to them now, or ever. The guilt of her actions that day, would follow her to her grave and beyond.  
And that, that was the worst kind of torment. The worst of the worst.


	2. Chapter 2

She sighed as she meekly turned away from the angry mob and dashed away into the forest, trying her very best not to cry.

She had been heading into town earlier that day to buy some vegetables which she needed to feed her animals who were by now, probably weak and sorrowful with hunger, begging her to return with some much needed food.

It started out as a pretty normal day. She arrived in town without incident and began making her way to the food stalls. It was there that things turned sour.

Three ponies, larger than she was, appeared from the shadows and stood in front of her blocking her path. It was a narrow passage wedged between 2 rows of houses and there wasn't enough room for her to move around them.

"Erm, excuse me please" she said.

The largest pony said nothing but advanced forward menacingly. He grinned maliciously and held out his hoof.

"Valuables down and do it quickly" he barked.

Already nervous of what was about to happen, she tried to open her wings to flap away but fear had gripped her already and they refused to cooperate.

"Now!" shouted the apparent ringleader of the group as his two lackies barred their teeth.

A more assertive pony would have threatened them right back before yelling at them to buzz off and go back where they came from, especially as they were not even armed.

But when your classmates at school teased you constantly and called you "Fluttershy" simply to condescend your poor flying skills as you stood there unable to utter a word in your defense, it didn't say much about being assertive.

"Gizzit before I smash your face in" bellowed the ringleader, a stallion with a coat of opaque, as black as the midnight sky.

Without further hesitation or thought, Fluttershy hurriedly threw down the bag she had brought with her at the feet of the dark stallion and bowed to him, hoping that her quick cooperation would lessen his black rage.

"P... please...please don't hurt me" she whispered as she closed her eyes "I, I'll do whatever you want me to"

The black stallion proceeded to empty out the contents of the bag, pocketing what few coins Fluttershy had brought with her into his own saddlebag. Fluttershy stood still as a statue as he did so, immobilised with terror and praying that this would be the merciful end.

But then, without warning, he grinned devilishly as he swung his hoof into her face with lightening speed.  
There was no pain, only utter shock as blood poured from her broken nose onto the ground.

"Very nice of yer" sneered the black stallion "now piss off".

Sighing once more, she slowly ambled for her cottage hidden away in the woods, trying her best to put the painful memory out of her mind. This never would have happened if her friends were around, but even they could not be there for her all the time as reliable as they were.

It would take her a long time to make back that money, and by then her animal friends might long have starved to death.  
It was this thought that hurt her more than her bleeding nose which she had to clutch tightly to stop herself from fainting due to excessive blood loss.

Head hung low, she slowly opened the door to her cottage. She resisted the temptation to look up, knowing she would only see the disappointed stares of hunger from her animals which had not eaten for 3 days and Angel bunny impatiently tapping his foot.

Angel was her favourite pet without a doubt, but even Fluttershy knew how unhappy it made him not to be granted his every request. And being served a delicious and exquisite dinner was of course, the first thing on his list which was due him.

She could already sense his frustration and the anger brewing inside him by the second.

"I'm sorry Angel" she sobbed, clearly trying to justify herself as best she could before his anger exploded to boiling point "I tried. I honestly, honestly tried. But I... they... they hit me and took my money. I didn't mean not to feed you"

His stare became even harder and he batted his eyelids.

"Please forgive me" begged Fluttershy as tears she failed to hold back began to trickle from her reddened eyes and she was forced to let go of her bleeding nose to wipe them away. "Please... believe me" Her tone was more apologetic than an apology as she looked Angel in the eyes with a look of pure desperation and pleading.

A look that perhaps even Satan would struggle to ignore.

At this, his eyes softened and he nodded emphatically, clearly sorry for once that he had gone too far. He gently caressed his caretaker in a genuine attempt to soothe her jangled nerves and to comfort her.

It was times like these when he finally understood the true extent of how much his caretaker truly loved him and could fully comprehend the magnitude of the kindness she had shown him despite his ungrateful attitude which he never seemed to grow out of, despite making a genuine effort time and time again.

Yet Fluttershy never punished him. Not once. That was big of her, in his mind. Big of her to continue to love him despite his ungrateful and spoiled tendencies which he might never grow out off.

And he swore a solemn vow to himself that he would make a change for the better starting now. Seeing the hardships that his caretaker had to endure first hand had finally revealed to him the true extent of his faults, and the least he could do was to avoid making Fluttershy's already unhappy existence any worse.

That would be a new low, even for someone as low as him.

Fluttershy continued to weep softly as Angel gently patted her as if to say "there, there." as he looked at her with genuine regret and pity.

It was dark outside when Fluttershy finally pulled herself together by which time Angel had fallen asleep next to her, still clutching her tightly. Tears trickled from his eyes as he slept, it was clear that the guilt he had secretly built up inside him was finally beginning to express itself.

A ghost of a gentle smile crossed Fluttershy's face and left as she gently tucked angel into bed, patting him softly on the head. It was moments like these where Angel expressed his true colors, and reminded her of what she came to love about him to begin with.

Her other animal friends had fallen asleep too, some on the couch downstairs and some on the carpet. It was clear that fatigue and hunger from having not eaten had made them sleepy.

She regarded them with an apologetic glance, they were probably very angry at having not eaten for so long now. She had run out of food 3 days ago and when she found there was no money in the mug on the mantle (for she had already spent her meager salary on other necessities), had taken up depriving herself of two whole days worth of sleep in order to make the money she so desperately needed.

The work was arduous to say the least, she was loaded with a huge, back-breaking load and tasked with delivering it to remote distant towns so remote and archaic, no railway connected them to the rest of Equestria.

She had to travel all day, and even darkness gave her no respite. To reach her destination in time she had to travel all night too, despite her fear of darkness with she still faced even as a grown adult.

She even had to sacrifice rest, even a 5 minute stop to catch her breath would have taken a great chunk out of what very little time she had to complete her task (for she had been warned that if the package was delivered even a minute past the deadline, she would get nothing).

It was only just in the nick of time that she arrived at her destination, where she regretfully pocketed what few coins she was given without a word. She had been promised a handsome payment for the difficult task, but these few coins barely paid for 2 days worth of food, but at least it was something

The journey back was easier, but her back howled with agony the whole way. And yet it was all for nothing.

She sighed as she tiptoed gently back to her room, and settled into bed trying without success to fall asleep. Random bouts of insomnia and several sleepless nights, the only parting gift her childhood had left her with. This wasn't the first time, and short of a wonderful miracle, certainly would not be the last.

She shivered, and with a defeated sighed got up and gently crept downstairs and unlocking the front door. She sighed, and left the room as silently as she had entered it.

She sat outside her cottage, grinding her hooves against the earth as she wondered what to do now that sleep, the one thing she needed the most after two long and excruciating sleepless nights had been denied her.

Twilight was not in town. She had left for Canterlot on some "very important business" that didn't involve Fluttershy.

Pinkie had gone back to the rock farm she was raised, to see her ill father who very desperately needed her presence.

Rarity, was away in Manehatten. She had promise Fluttershy she would be back before yesterday, but sometimes you had to go where potential customers were to keep your business afloat. Or perhaps she just wanted to look at the beautiful shops there just a little longer. She was very into fashion after all.

Meanwhile Applejack had dissipated to who knows where. The apple farmer had boarded the train last week with no explanation as to where she was going. She hadn't stated when exactly she would be back, but from what Fluttershy could deduce from the fact that the train was bound for Doge junction, she had gone to see a rodeo or something.

And Rainbow now a full time Wonderbolt, was busy with work so often, his trips back to Ponyville had become less and less frequent by the month. His job did require a lot out of him and the days off were not many. But it was his dream job, and it was not Fluttershy's place to demand that Rainbow give up his dream.

Fluttershy didn't blame them, what made you think that? Not everypony's life revolved around her, and they had their own lives to get on with too.

So unable to sleep, and devoid of any companions, chums or com-padre's she might pay a visit to for some counselling or comfort after another terrible day of being bullied, she decided she might go for a walk.

A walk, it sounded nice. A chance to enjoy the beautiful wilderness of the everfree forest that was her home, and a perfect opportunity for some soul searching.

When you ignored the Cockatrice that turned ponies into stone with its glare, or that dragon who was fiercely territorial with a breath that could barbecue you where you stood, it really was quite a nice place all things considered.

Not that she had anywhere else to turn, and frankly she needed the fresh air and exercise.

With this in mind Fluttershy slowly got up and trotted cautiously into the darkness of the trees, humming softly to herself as she did so.

She walked and walked, until her cottage was no longer in sight and even the slightest glimmer of moonlight was hidden by tall trees.  
The silence and stillness did not frighten her, she had been here too long for that. This was her home after all.

She walked on and on further into the shadows, not once looking back lest the guilt over her starving animal friends consume her and ruin this brief moment of peace and tranquillity.

And on she trotted.


	3. Chapter 3

It was another busy, busy day for the Wonderbolts.

Rainbow Dash was alight with excitement as he hurriedly slipped on his Wonderbolt costume. For today they would be performing in front of the princess herself and just about everypony in the high society town of Canterlot would be there too.

It had always been Rainbow's Dream to be in the Wonderbolts. He loved their daring stunts and awe inspiring performances. It had been his dream since the first day he arrived in flight school as a young colt.

He loved flying, he loved doing aerial stunts and he loved speed. But most of all he loved being the centre of attention and coming first in any contest. The one thing he did not love however, was for anyone to take his dreams away from him, whether deliberately or not.

Second place to him, was for losers and Spitfire had no place for losers in her elite squad of flyers.

Which is why there was one pony he could not stand since the moment he laid eyes on her. One pony who befitting her name, rudely took all his thunder. One pony who would surely have wrested his dreams away from him should she not have been conveniently removed from the scene.

That one pony, who would surely have bested him and put him to shame, had no right to carry on as she did.

That one pony whose determination and will to push herself further and further, did not deserve a chance at realising her selfish dreams and basking in glory while he would woefully grit his teeth at being forever second place in the academy and lost his reputation bit by bit.

That one pony who even now he would continue to detest and loath with every bit of his being despite knowing her for little more than a day.

And Rainbow Dash would never forgive that pony.

If they never met again it would be too soon.


	4. Chapter 4

It was daytime when Fluttershy found herself awake, still groggy with sleep. Dazed, she quickly sat up and scanned her surroundings. How long had she been walking, she had no idea, nor how long it took before sleep finally came and she collapsed with exhaustion, glad to finally take some rest after two days of arduous labour.

Slowly and cautiously (for the Everfree forest was known for being just as dangerous during the day) she crept from her hiding place which she had taken shelter in and began to trudge home, knowing full well she would have to face the anger of her animal friends at not having gathered anymore food for them.

She sighed wearily as she reflected just how much of a failure she had been in her short yet miserable life.

She could do nothing well, unlike her talented friends who each had a talent they would never be out competed in.

Applejacks strong hooves and hardworking attitude made her the best farm hand for miles around. Sweet apple acres would not be a fraction of what it was today without her.

Rarity's unfailing eye for fashion never failed to impress her ever growing line of clients for her dress shop, and made her the subject of many, many magazines and many influential and renowed critics, each of which who praised her to the skies.

Twilight. Princes Celestia's personal student in magic. It didn't take a genius to realise that Princess Celestia, the ruler, didn't just teach anypony.

And Pinkie. The one of a kind super duper party planner of Ponyville (and probably all of Equestria too). Her parties were summed up in one simple word. Incredible. Be it a simple birthday party, or a party commemorating an important royal event. Marriages, peace conferences, gala's you name it.

But Dash took the cake. Dash was the piece de resistance. Dash, was everything good Fluttershy was not and that made them as different as night and day. Dash's flying skills were top notch by Equestria's standards, while Fluttershy's were bottom of the barrel.

Dash would forever receive nothing but admiration from his fellow brethren in Cloudsdale, Fluttershy's beautiful birthplace. Fluttershy, nothing but scorn.

Fluttershy sighed helplessly. There was no point in trying to deny her lack of talent, or the hard fact she could not do anything right.

Her Cutie mark stated her talent with animals, but what kind of animal caretaker was she when she couldn't even find enough food to keep her animal friends from starving to death. Even that, was something she failed at.

She had no talent. Not even in animals and certainly not as a flyer. It was time to stop pretending she did and maybe the cold world around her would develop an inkling of respect for her.

She trudged and trudged, partly in a trance, still lamenting her uselessness and futility. Her friends despite their best efforts, could not change that.

She stopped suddenly, shocked. How long had she been walking she had forgotten but this was not the way back to her cottage.

In fact she did not know where this was, but this was definitely not the right way.

She anxiously glanced around, desperate to reclaim her bearings, when a loud noise which seemed to come from nowhere in particular filled her already fearful heart with dark terror.

Her eyes widened, her breathing quickened, and she ran. Sweat coated her mane as she continued to gallop aimlessly. It did not matter where she was heading, all that mattered to her was that she was alone and lost in the middle of nowhere she knew and the ringing in her ears only seemed to get louder and louder by the second.

Fear silenced her scream, and her wings clamped together rendering her flightless though she would have wanted nothing more than to fly up and away at this moment. Why oh why had she come out here into the Everfree, when she should have known better than anypony the risks.

Time did not exist for Fluttershy as she continued to run.

Her chest was on fire, her heart beating like a maddened drum when something tripped her and she tumbled head first onto the hard, unforgiving earth. And then she was down, flailing her hooves wildly, trying to ward off, trying to cry for mercy as the world turned black around her.

Darkness had fallen by the time Fluttershy came to her senses.

She tensed for more dangers, and for several minutes lay still as a statue trying without success to hold her breath.

When she was certain she heard nothing, slowly she got to her feet and gingerly walked forward, one step at a time out of the silent thicket still sweating heavily.

And that was where she saw in the blackness of night, that tall, forbidding edifice.

It was hidden obscurely by trees which surrounded it on all sides. A tall metal fence surrounded the building, which in the darkness of night seemed to have almost no life.

A small lamppost near what seemed to be a large set of doors, threw a small globe of light around the only lit part of the building and two figures dressed in black stared coldly into the night, oblivious to Fluttershy's presence. Not that they looked like ponies Fluttershy would announce herself to. Something about the looks in their glittering eyes, which gleamed even in the dark night, simply didn't seem right.

Something about the way they stood, frightened her.

Just what was this place. It looked like no building Fluttershy had ever seen before.

Curiosity got the better of Fluttershy, and careful to make as little noise as possible, she crawled silently to the back of the building.

There were no doors in this side of the building, just windows. Barred windows, Fluttershy noted.

Through one of the small, barred windows, Fluttershy saw a small flicker of light. Her heart was in her mouth as she crept closer to the tall metal fence, part of her asking herself why she ever thought this was a good idea.

As she crept closer still, she saw a face. Steeling herself to the gruesome knowledge that this pony might just be one of those daunting figures she saw earlier, she pressed on.

She crawled up to the fence, and the fear on her expression turned to confusion as she took a brief glance at the sad miserable figure she could now see clearly, staring blankly out of the window like some disconsolate prisoner.

The confusion soon turned to disbelief as she realised that this was no stranger. This was a familiar face. This was the pony in Rainbow Dash's anecdotes. This was the pony Rainbow Dash had been warning her time and time again to avoid contact with. The one Rainbow Dash ranted on and on about, and labelled a reckless and immoral sociopath blind to the fact that her actions could and did harm those around her.

"Those that she pretended to care about" said Rainbow Dash angrily during his rants "Those that she shared fake laughter with. Those she pretended to cry for. To think that I ever associated with such a reckless, selfish smart-ass who thought that pushing oneself forward was the only important thing and didn't give a damn about her teammate, let alone others"

And there she was. The sociopath, the know it all, the selfish,reckless smart-ass sat staring into the blackness of the night wearing a mask of guilt, sorrow and regret. Completely oblivious to Fluttershy's presence.

No actor, artist or writer could have done a better job of portraying a remorseful and guilty conscience than the selfish reckless smart-ass who Fluttershy now faced.

Then her disbelief turned to pity and then utter shock as she noticed three large scars on her bleeding face and how she clutched her nose in agony.  
They reflected horrific abuse.

At first Fluttershy thought the other pony had not seen her, but as she sadly began to turn away, a desperate voice called to her.

No louder than a whisper, but it did not lack in emotion nor genuineness. It shook and was spoken in a shaky, broken voice.

"I, I'm sorry" said the pony behind the window. "P, please forgive me".


	5. Chapter 5

The voice was so quiet. So very quiet that at first Fluttershy only imagined she heard it, when there it was once more.

"I'm sorry" it cried softly "So very very sorry for what I did to you. I didn't... I didn't intend for it". Fluttershy looked once more at the face peering through the bars of the window, and she was puzzled. This was the first time she had heard anyone introduce themselves in this way. And from the way this pony spoke and peered back at her, it was clear this regret was genuine.

Fluttershy gazed once more at the pony peering through the barred window. Her deflated orange mane and horribly bruised face a telltale sign of horrific abuse and her reddened saggy and lifeless eyes a likely result of many sleepless nights.

This was not the pony Fluttershy remembered at the Wonderbolt academy yet it undeniably was the same pony. Fluttershy needed no explanation, her memory was better than she was willing to admit and she had been there when the incident occured.

She knew what this pony did was severe and that the punishment would be severe, but not this severe. This was how a mass murderer was treated and even then Fluttershy found it jarring that a ruler as just and merciful as Celestia would allow such vulgar treatment. Even prisoners had rights, or should have.

Fluttershy did not need to ask for the pony's name, she knew what it was from the times Rainbow Dash ranted on and on about how he just hated Lightning Dust and how glad he was that she was finally called out for her wrongdoings.

"Its alright" Fluttershy replied "Its alright. I forgive you."

Hearing those words, Lightning looked up and a ghost of a smile returned to her lips. "Really?" she asked, half mad with a mixture of hope and desperation.

"Of course. Everyone makes mistakes. What's important is that you feel sorry for what you did and learn from your mistakes"

Tears began to well in Lightning's eyes. And slowly in a trickle, they began to run down her cheeks as she wept silently, unable to control herself.

"There, there" soothed Fluttershy, dismayed that her words had brought Lightning to even more tears. "Its alright. You didn't mean to do what you did, and its not your fault"

"It is" sighed Lightning, only just managing to salvage a touch of composure. "I, I put you in danger. I put your friends and you in danger. All my fault"

A loud creaking tread was heard and Lightning was at once apprehensive.

"Go!" pleaded Lightning stiffing her sobs.

"But..." protested Fluttershy but Lightning cut her off.

"Please. Just go. I don't want you to get in trouble when the guard comes in. Just go. Please. He'll really punish you if he catches you"

"I'm not going without you" retorted Fluttershy. "You deserve better than this. I know you do".

After all, from what she saw and heard at the Wonderbolt academy that day, the hurricane was at least partly Rainbow Dash's fault too. At least in her own experience.

"You have to" pleaded Lightning as the footsteps got louder and louder "Please. Please go. Please, you don't have to suffer for my mistakes. Please."

Fluttershy looked at Lightning and she looked back at Fluttershy. A noise of a key turning in a lock made Fluttershy leap away from the window just as a tall, daunting figure stepped into the room.

As she slowly flew away, dissapearing back into the shadow of the night, Fluttershy cringed as she heard a furious shout followed by several loud, heavy thuds, one after the other.

Fluttershy realized sadly that though she had taken the safer option, she could not shake the feeling she was once again a coward in every sense of the word.

And as she found her way by the light of the full moon back to her cottage, looking up to the high moon, she vowed in a solemn, serious tone.

"As Celestia as my witness, I will help my friend. I will come back here and help her no matter the price".

"Who were you talking to" demanded the guard angrily as he shook Lightning hard.

"Myself, I guess" sighed Lightning tiredly in reply. "Who would want to talk to me"

The guard dropped Lightning Dust like a hot potato. "Well said" he sneered sarcastically "Well said you little runt. After the way you behaved back at the academy, I don't think even your own mother would ever want to see you ever again. Not that your mother ever loved you in the first place. Heck she probably loathed you from the day you were born."

"I'll have you know my mother loved me very much" hissed Lightning, unable to let that insult go unchallenged.

"No one loves you and now that you're going to spend the rest of your life in this prison with only me for company, no one ever will." spat the guard sarcastically "A cold blooded murderer who blows tornadoes to threaten innocent lives deserves no love."

"I've said it before" replied Lightning weary and annoyed "But I'll say it again. It was an accident, I swear."

"Pah" huffed the guard "An accident. Sure it was. If it really was an accident, why would we have bothered taking you here to prison in the first place. Have you no shame?"

"I did the best I could" protested Lightning Dust.

"Well your best simply was not good enough then" retorted the guard and before Lightning could reply, the guard swung his hoof into Lightning's already bruised face.

It was a miracle how no blood welled from Lightning's nose after such a blow. In fact it was a miracle how Lightning's skull stayed intact after the impact.

The guard said nothing else as he left, locking the door as he did so. And after making sure he was gone, Lightning returned to the window, staring blankly into the night. She was glad that at least one of the ponies she wronged had forgiven her and accepted her apology so kindly, yet upset that she could not do more to show her regret.

There were still 4 more ponies she had yet to apologise to, and she still had to say her sorry's to Rainbow Dash and her teacher, Spitfire. She did not expect the pony she had just met and whose name she sadly didn't know, to return. That would be asking too much after that pony had already done so much by forgiving her.  
But Lightning hoped she could at least tell the other ponies involved in the incident that awful day, that a certain Wonderbolt at the Wonderbolt academy (Lightning never had a chance to say her name) sent them her apologies and kind regards.

A brief glimmer of hope that perhaps she had found a new friend crossed Lightning's mind briefly but she quickly shot it down and dismissed it. To forgive was one thing but to care for enough to call someone a friend, was another altogether. 

Lightning sighed painfully, this was another one of those nights where she could not help but wish this all would end. She could really use some friends for a change.


End file.
